3:15 p.m. update: Parts of the Peninsula and the Middle Peninsula and other surrounding areas are under a winter weather advisory until 7 a.m. Thursday.

The area under the advisory includes York, Poquoson, Williamsburg, James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Isle of Wight, Surry, Suffolk and Franklin, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow was reported in Suffolk and Franklin about 2:30 p.m., said Dan Proch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield.

York, Gloucester and Mathews counties are expected to get about an inch or two of snow, while there may be up to 2 to 4 inches on the northwest side of Gloucester. Poquoson may see about an inch, Proch said.

The snow is expected to come in the afternoon and change to a snow and sleet mix during rush hour, Proch said.

“Any kind of snow on the roads or anything is going to be kind of slick,” Proch said.

That precipitation should change over to rain by about 11 p.m.

The rain is expected to last through Thursday, changing back over to a light rain and snow mix before changing to snow which will taper off by around midnight.

The area should get some relief from the rain with sun in the forecast during the day Friday, but more brief snow showers are possible Friday night and Saturday.

“We’re not really expecting any accumulation from this,” Proch said.

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By now, Hampton Roads residents should be used to the threat of snow.

For the third time this year, forecasters are calling for snowfall on the peninsula — though this time, accumulation totals are projected to be much lower, around an inch.

But some are saying even that is too much.

York County Superintendent Eric Williams and teachers at Seaford Elementary got together this morning chanting "Snow, no!" They posted short choreographed video on the superintendent's blog.

"We've already had five snow days this year," Williams said on his blog. "Some people enjoyed the first few days, but with another storm approaching we decided we've had enough. Let's hope it works."

Breathe easy — Hampton Roads isn't expected to get hit very hard this time around.

As the winter storm moves up from the southeast Wednesday, Hampton and Newport News are expected to start seeing flakes around 2 to 3 p.m., according to National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Proch. Those cities might see a half inch to an inch of snow, but no other localities in the region are expected to see much accumulation.

By nightfall, snow is expected to give way to sleet and rain, Proch said. Overnight and into Thursday, the area will see "straight rain" washing away any of the white stuff.

Proch said the afternoon commute Wednesday could be slushy, and roads will remain wet through Friday.

There is little expected in the way of ice forming, Proch said because "it's not getting particularly cold."

Temperatures Wednesday will be in the low to mid 30s through the night. Thursday, it will warm up a bit with temperatures around 40, then drop overnight to the low 20s.

Heavier snowfalls are expected in the central and northwestern parts of the state, which could get more than 6 inches, prompting Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon.

In doing so, he mobilized the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Emergency Operations Center, Department of Transportation, National Guard and State Police to help local governments respond to issues caused by the storm.

"Just as state government is preparing for this storm, I urge every Virginian to take proper preparations," McAuliffe said in a statement. "Prepare to limit unnecessary travel during the storm, have emergency supplies on hand and be ready in the event that power in your area goes out."

Dominion Virginia Power officials said Tuesday they were preparing for the storm

"Company trucks are being stocked and fueled, and crews made ready to respond to outages," a statement from the company said. "We are not expecting a major impact in Hampton Roads; however, we are leaving ample coverage in this area in case they're needed. We will also send crews from Hampton Roads to help in areas expected to have a heavy impact."

Amtrak officials announced Tuesday they would suspend some services to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic because of the winter storm.

Staff writer Andrea Castillo contributed to this report. Rockett can be reached by phone at 757-247-4942.